Portret van Johann Conrad Rhumel 1661 - 1685

This is a portrait of Johann Conrad Rhumel, made with engraving by Nicolaus Häublin. The print is likely from the early 17th century in the German-speaking lands of the Holy Roman Empire. Visual codes of status are front and center, from Rhumel's refined garments and carefully groomed beard, to the Latin inscription denoting him as a doctor of philosophy and medicine. Consider how the conventions of portraiture served the sitter’s ambition. The emphasis on learning and social standing speaks to a culture where humanist education was increasingly seen as a path to worldly success. The work speaks to the institutions of artmaking itself. Engravings such as this were often commissioned, produced and circulated within networks of printers and publishers as a form of cultural and intellectual currency. Understanding the historical context of this image requires resources such as genealogical records, university archives, and collections of early printed books and images. These shed light on the social conditions that shaped both the sitter's identity and the artist's practice.